New rail shuttle to link French ports with Switzerland

A thrice-weekly rail shuttle will connect the French ports of Marseille and Le Havre with the Chavornay terminal near Lausanne in French-speaking Switzerland from mid-March.

Transport operator Naviland Cargo has worked with the Port of Marseille Fos and HAROPA – Port du Havre to launch the service.

The freight will travel from Marseille/Fos and Le Havre directly via the Burgundy terminal of Dijon-Gevrey to Chavornay.

Goods from and to Switzerland will have the option of reduced transit times to markets in the Mediterranean and to the east of the Suez Canal. 

The potential Swiss container market is estimated at 350,000 to 400,000 TEU per year.

The use of rail for transporting containers will relieve road congestion by replacing the equivalent capacity of 12,000 trucks per year.